How to get a celebrity endorsement for your product

A celebrity endorsing your product or company can help change your business – but how do you go about getting one to say something nice about it?

From Twitter to TV, celebrities can be seen endorsing products left, right and centre. But how do you get them to not only notice yours, but to also say something nice about it to their millions of fans?

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Around 1 in 3 people have bought something due to a celebrity endorsement, according to a study by Erasmus University Rotterdam. While other figures show that such an endorsement can boost sales by 4%.

So how do you go about getting someone famous to like your product?

Know your audience…and theirs Picking the right celebrity is important. Not only should they have similar attributes to your brand but their fans must also have similar tastes. While a local football star might seem a good fit for your chain of high-end gyms, are sofa football fans your target audience?

Start by looking at which area you’d like to aim for – TV, sports, writers, singers etc. Then draw up a wish list. You’re probably not going to be able to get Beyoncé to Tweet about your chain of car washes, but there might be a similar local pop star that could.

Narrow your list down to a handful of stars that you feel both reflect your brand and who would be willing to endorse you.

You’ll also need to watch out for clashing endorsements – don’t approach someone who has previously backed a rival or a product that goes against your own.

Impress them Once you’ve got the shortlist, you’ve got to go out and impress them. If you’re able to offer them a cash incentive, that’s great. But even then, many celebrities will get lots of requests for such endorsements, so you’ve got to make sure yours stands out.

First and foremost, you’ve got to be sure that if they do agree to put their name to your company they’re not going to be embarrassed by it. Sell the lifestyle aspects of your brand.

While approaching celebrities directly on social media might seem like the right move, it’s probably better to go through their agent first. Try spotlight.com for details.

Use social media A lot of celebrities will be happy to post about a product if you pay them – which is fine if you’ve got a big advertising budget.

But it’s also worth scouring various social media outlets for mentions of not only your brand, but also similar products. You might get lucky and find a celebrity is already using your product. Or they might be dissatisfied with a rival – in which case you could swoop in and offer them a free sample of your product.

Try and avoid the obvious ones – people like Kim Kardashian make thousands of dollars promoting products online so they’re probably not going to Tweet about yours for nothing.

Offer something in return While offering hard cash probably works best, you might not be in a financial position to do so.

Think of other things you could provide from a lifetime supply of your product to VIP treatment at any events you hold.

You could also offer to promote something they’re passionate about in return be it a charity or a personal project.